Why Does LBAM Need to be Eliminated in California?
LBAM is not native to California or the U.S., which means that nature has not provided a system to keep LBAM populations in check. Unless this pest is eliminated through a comprehensive, effective and relatively safe program while the infestation is still relatively small and primarily in the Bay Area, the species will regenerate, migrate and potentially become a permanent, destructive pest in the U.S. The establishment of LBAM as a permanent pest would have serious economic impacts and would lead to a prolonged, piecemeal and likely ineffective effort by farmers, gardeners, foresters and landscapers to control the moths/caterpillars themselves.
